Le petit soldat

In 1958, amid the Algerian War, Bruno Forestier is a deserter from the French army living in Geneva. He doesn’t harbor strong political convictions, yet he finds himself pulled into the shadowy world of La Main Rouge, a French terrorist network, while posing as a reporter. To prove he isn’t a double agent, he is ordered to kill Arthur Palivoda, a radio host who is openly pro-FLN and advocates Algerian independence. Although he has killed before, he hesitates—first claiming the job is too dangerous, then that he simply does not feel like doing it.

Bruno meets and falls for Veronica Dreyer, who, unbeknownst to him, is working with the FLN. When his comrades stage a hit-and-run that targets his car, Bruno agrees to go through with the assassination so the charges will be dropped and he won’t be sent back to France, but his resolve wavers again and he contemplates not killing Palivoda at all.

Now seen as a traitor by the French, Bruno plans an escape to Brazil with Veronica, yet he is captured and tortured by the Algerians after they suspect him of following Palivoda. He escapes by leaping from the second-floor window of his confinement. He then tries to obtain two diplomatic passports from the French by revealing where he was held, but the Algerians have already moved out, leaving him with no choice but to agree to kill Palivoda in order to secure the papers. After the French discover Veronica’s ties to the FLN, they abduct her and torture her for the Algerians’ current hideout.

Following Bruno’s decisive act against Palivoda, he learns that Veronica has died, and he closes the chapter with a hard-earned resolve: he has learned not to be bitter about it.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:03